BT transforms green street cabinet into public EV charger

BT Group has installed its first EV charge point powered from a street cabinet, marking the first phase of trials which could lead to the wider installation of cabinet charge units across the UK. The charger, which is powered by a BT-owned cabinet traditionally used to store broadband and phone cabling, forms part of a nationwide pilot scheme by BT subsidiary.

The first charger has been installed in East Lothian, Scotland, for use by local residents, who will be able to charge their electric vehicles at no cost until 31st May as part of the pilot. The pilot will focus next on West Yorkshire, with ambitions to scale up to 600 trial sites across the UK. EV drivers can use the charge point by downloading a trial app.

EV owners can connect to the app to get live updates on battery levels, smart estimated costs and charge times, and access their charging history. BT has identified up to 4,800 street cabinets that could be used for potential upgrade in Scotland to meet increasing demand.

Norman Hampshire, East Lothian Council Leader said: “East Lothian Council has a strong track record of supporting innovative vehicle charging solutions in public places to accelerate the transition to an electric future. During the design of this trial we worked with BT Group to ensure the charger would be fully accessible, and that trailing cables would not get in the way of pedestrians and others using the pavement.

“We are pleased that BT Group is supplementing the wide range of public chargers in East Lothian as this allows the Council to focus on its public service role of providing charging options in areas less attractive to commercial operators. Use of electric vehicles supports the council’s ambitions to reduce emissions, promote sustainable travel solutions and enhance the local environment.”

Local residents will be able to charge their electric vehicles at no cost as part of the pilot